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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. march — the month
  4. suit — to fit
  5. file — a document
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. file — a line of people
  8. bass — the fish
  9. suit — in cards
  10. object — to protest
  11. file — a tool
  12. suit — clothes
  13. bass — low music
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. rush — hurry
  16. object — an aim
  17. net — after costs
  18. stand — to bear
  19. net — for catching
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. object — a thing
  22. net — in sport
  23. march — music
  24. march — the month

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com